The Next Life
by Writer of the Lost Age
Summary: Two girls are killed in a terrible accident. In a strange turn of events, they are thrown into the world of Middle Earth. Following these daring, quirky young women as they fight for their lives, find love, and jack up the story line. Good Luck! Pip/OC Aragorn/OC This is jointly done with another writer: Badwolf1993
1. Prologue

Prologue

The sky is covered in a thick layer of gloomy grey clouds. As fat snowflakes fall to the ground, a shuttle from the local college carries three passengers and a driver. Two girls sit in the back of the bus, talking and laughing loudly, all due to the antics of a short, red- head. They disrupt the quiet thoughts of the other passenger and driver, causing them to shoot the two female companions evil glares that would kill the sun.

The red- head digs through her patchwork purse, "Hey Britaney, look what I found!" She grins manically at her friend, "I found a plastic fork."

The brunette quickly whips around to face her roommate and as the blood leaves face she says, "No, don't you do it, Alexa." The red-head creeps closer, wielding the plastic utensil, "I'm gonna break off in your nose."

Alexa just chuckles at her, "You say that every time but I have yet to see results." Her hand holding the fork slowly reaches out.

Britaney glares at her through her black rimmed glasses, "Don't you test me, woman!"

Britaney snatches the fork and throws it to the front of the bus, startling the other passenger and driver. The driver jerks on the steering wheel and hits a patch of black ice. Hurtling toward oncoming traffic, Alexa looks to Britaney with a look of panic, but very calmly states, "We are going to die."

Laughing nervously, Britaney agrees, "Oh, okay."

The shuttle makes contact with a 2012 silver Volvo being driven by a student leaving campus by the name of Edward. But his name is of no matter, being he died instantly by a broken neck. In the middle of the twisted metal everyone on the bus survived. The only other passenger wriggled out from the destroyed remains. The two girls manage to compose themselves and look over each.

"We survived," Britaney states very bluntly.

Alexa looks at her blankly, "Thank you, captain obvious."

A groan emits from the wreckage. The two college students look to the smashed bus and realize the driver is trapped in between the seat and the steering wheel that had been shoved forward on impact. Alexa and Britaney rush over to aid the driver. A burning smell begins to emit from the crushed engine.

"The engine is on fire! We have to hurry!" exclaims Britaney. She and Alexa grab hold of the driver and by some miracle manage to pull him out of the burning bus. When the two finally get the man out, Alexa looks back and realizes it is too late. She pushes the man to safety and turns to tell Britaney to run when the engine explodes.

Firefighters appear on the scene and put out the fire. EMT's and police scurry around assisting those hurt and ask questions as to what happened. Paramedics load up two gurneys into the back of an ambulance

A news anchor reports at the scene, "A shuttle from the area university crashed this evening. The bus was carrying three students and a driver. It is reported by witness that everyone on the shuttle was alive at the time of the crash. Having spoken to several people at the scene, they say that two girls, passenger of the bus, pulled the driver from the wrecked vehicle but were unable to get away before the explosion. The witnesses describe the bravery of the girls. Though not yet identified, I believe these two were the heroes tonight. The driver will always remember the sacrifice these girls made."


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

A loud, rowdy crowd fills a tavern. Rain pelts down from the sky and the night is already half way gone. The crowd carries on drunkenly as two figures sit slouched in the corner, going unnoticed by the patrons. As the laughter increases, the figures start to move around and look about themselves. With eyes darting about, the two look to each other.

The taller of the two whispers, "Where did the bus go?"

"Where are we?" asks the companion in a hushed tone.

"Why are we here?"

"Why are we wearing cloaks?"

"Why do we have sharp, pointy objects on our belt? Because you know it is not safe to give me one."

In a loud whisper the companion says, "Why are we whispering?"

Looking about again, the taller of the hooded figures states, "We died…and now we are in a bar…"

"Best…Death…EVER!" yells the companion as she jumps out of her chair and fist pumps the air. Her hood falls back to reveal short, curly brown with a single neon pink curl falling into her hazel eyes. Her friend laughs uncontrollably at her, as she stands there blinking with a blank look on her face. With her fist still hanging lamely in the air, she calmly state, "What the fuck is this?"

Trying to get her snickers under control, the friend says, "I don't know, Britaney, but you are short." At this last statement, her hood falls back as well. It unveils long, red hair half pulled into a series braids of different widths leaving the remaining to tumble down her back. Her grey eyes looks to her friend as she tucks some of it behind her now pointed ears and grins, "I get to be taller than you for once."

Spinning around to retort, Britaney pauses with her mouth hanging open in surprise. She says in amazement, "Holy crap, Alexa, you're Vulcan!"

"What?" She exclaims. Alexa's hands flutter to her ears, feels the points and something else unexpected. "I seem to also have an industrial. I don't remember having that before. Hey you have a nose piercing and pointy ears, too."

As girls continue to talk, 4 small beings slip into the bar unnoticed. Still carrying on the conversation, a commotion starts in the crowd that draws the attention the newly transformed Britaney. Alexa, meanwhile, goes back to looking about the tavern and spots a familiar shape in a dark corner. Turning around sharply to each other, they sputter excited about what they have just seen.

"OK. We both cannot talk at once. You go first," Alexa states. She waits for Britaney to respond but the brunette only continues to splutter frantically. Aggressively grapping hold of Britaney's cloak, Alexa stern says in her face, "Pull yourself together! I have figured where we are and what we are in and I assume you do too at this point. "

Bouncing enthusiastically, Britaney grins widely, "Uh-huh," she squeaks in excitement.

"Yes, yes be all excited. Just remember at what point we are at. We get to deal with Nazgul now," Alexa grins manically at her.

"I don't care! I'm hobbit! We really died because I am a fucking hobbit!" Britaney exclaims spastically.

Alexa just stares at her friend, "Well, Ms. Hobbit, now you get to gather the hobbits. I will get 'Strider.'" She makes air quotes with her fingers.

"Yes ma'am, Professor McGonagall. And if I complete this task do I get ten points for Gryffindor?" Britaney says sarcastically.

Retorting, Alexa says, "No, you just avoid a smack upside your head."

With a sad face, Britaney looks to her once shorter friend, "Do I at least get a lollipop?"

"Sure. Why not."

"You actually have them with you?"

"I never go anywhere without my candy."

"Dude. We're dead."

"So, now go to the hobbits before they leave," Alexa ordered as she turns to look back into the crowd to find the hobbits and Strider missing, "Never mind, they are already up in the rooms, locked in. Nice going, smart one."

"Break down the doors! Break down all the doors," the small female hobbit yells.

"Or," the now turned elf says calmly, "We could knock politely."

"Screw you, I like my idea better."

"Well, then they will think we are here to kill them. And don't forget the Nazgul and that we are in a fictional world!" Alexa states heatedly.

Blinking up at the elf, Britaney stays silent for a moment, "Okay, we will go with your plan."

Swiftly moving up the stairs, the two former humans hear the screams of the Nazgul from outside. They try to locate the whereabouts of the hobbits and ranger quickly and come to the final door in the hall. Knocking politely, the two companions hear movement for the inside.

Whispers come from the room, "Who is that?"

"I don't know."

A gruff voice chimes in, "Get under the bed."

"Oh my goodness, what is that smell?"

"Oh, sorry."

Frodo exclaimed in a scandalized voice, "Peregrin Took!"

Outside the door, the two girls grin to each other and knock again, Alexa states, "We are here to help and definitely know you are in there."

The door cracks open slowly and an eye peers through the small space. Strider sizes up the two strangers, trying to deem whether or not they are a threat. He opens the door wider and politely says, "Can I help you?"

"Yes… well…you see…"

Britaney then interrupts by screeching, "Hobbitses!" She darts underneath Aragorn's arm using her small stature to her advantage and runs into the room. She then dives on the bed and looks under the bed. "Hi there!" she says happily. The occupants scream in fear and scatter like roaches around the room.

Sighing, Alexa turns her attention to Aragorn, "Sorry about that one. She is a bit excitable."

Aragorn stands with a defensive posture and reaches for the dagger at his belt, "Who are you and why are you here?"

With a quick thought, Alexa decides to give a false name and bows deeply to Aragorn, "Keena, at you service. And short stuff over there…" pointing to the female hobbit that is chasing the other hobbits around the room, "…is…um…ummm."

The distracted hobbit, deciding to follow the leader with the name change, pipes up, "Adalynn!"

Nodding, Keena agrees, "Right, Adalynn. And we are here because of….uh...well…"

Adalynn peaks from behind the bed, where she had cornered Pippin, and says in a high pitched Hispanic accent, "Hello…Room service. You need new towels?" She then sinks back behind the bed to further torment the poor hobbit.

Glaring at the small one, Keena says, "No, we are here because of-" She is interrupted again by the anger shriek of the Nazgul. "Because of that. We are dead witch king hunters." She smiles awkwardly.

Chiming in again, Adalynn says, "With room service!"

Aragorn still not relaxing, asks, "Dead witch king hunters?"

"Yes," Keena says slowly, "They killed our families."

Sobbing exaggeratedly, Adalynn startles Aragorn and Keena out of their conversation and they turn towards her. She slips into a British accent, "Why did you have to remind me of poor dearest mother? She was all I had left! I held her as she died in my arms! I wept bitterly for days! Why, cruel world, why!"

Simply staring at her friend, Keena lifts an eyebrow, "Right, that is way we are here. We followed them and figure when you all disappears they were after you."

The two are accepted warily by the hobbits and Aragorn. As the hours pass the hobbits fall asleep and the only ones still up are Aragorn, Adalynn, Keena and Frodo. Each one spread around the room. Aragorn sits in a chair by the window keeps watch, Keena leans against the opposite wall from Aragorn also looking out into the gloom of the night, and Adalynn sneaks towards Keena with some unknown white fluff.

Eyeballing the female hobbit, Keena quietly asks, "What are you doing?" Adalynn slowly reaches out and rubs the fluff on her companion's arm causing her to twitch uncontrollably. Aragorn simply watches on amused, trying to figure the motive of the two when an agonizing scream cuts the air, waking the once dreaming hobbits.

Frodo asks, "What are they?"

"They were once men. Great kings of Men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine Rings of Power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgul, Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring. Drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you," answers Aragorn.

Fearfully the hobbits look to one another. Keena notices and tries to reassure them. Smiling gently she says, "Don't worry that's what Adalynn, Aragorn, and I are here for. We will protect you."

Adalynn then ruins the moment by stating loudly, "I get to be the hero!"

An awkward silence falls on the group. Keena sweat drops, "…Yes, Adalynn, you get to be the hero."

"Don't patronize me, woman!"


End file.
